Aquaculture

Farmed Salmon RAS Land-Based Aquaculture Welfare

Recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) offer welfare advantages over sea cages but introduce new management challenges.

Key Facts

RAS controls water quality, temperature and parasites more precisely than sea cages
No sea lice infestations occur in enclosed RAS, eliminating a major welfare burden
Oxygen and ammonia management in RAS requires technical expertise and continuous monitoring
Fish in RAS cannot escape system failures as they would spread in sea cages - any failure affects entire stock
RAS electricity and water treatment costs are higher than conventional aquaculture

Welfare Considerations

RAS offers significant welfare improvements over sea cage aquaculture by eliminating sea lice, controlling water quality and enabling year-round management. However, system failures in closed RAS can cause rapid mass mortality if oxygen or water quality collapses. Redundancy, monitoring and skilled management are essential welfare safeguards.

What You Can Do

Support development and adoption of RAS as a higher-welfare alternative to sea cages
Choose seafood from verified RAS operations where available
Advocate for welfare standards specific to RAS aquaculture
Support research into optimising welfare in RAS salmon production